Shettima leads governors to Benin to study textile industrial hub for Nigeria’s revival plan

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July 23, 2026 by

Shettima leads governors to Benin to study textile industrial hub for Nigeria’s revival plan

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday arrived in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, leading a high-powered Nigerian delegation on a working visit aimed at exploring strategies for reviving Nigeria’s textile industry and strengthening the implementation of the Federal Government’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme

Shettima was received on arrival by Benin Republic’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Corinne Amori Brunet, and the Minister of Tourism and External Trade, Mr. Olushegun Adjadi Bakari

The Vice President is accompanied by the governors of Kwara, Imo, Jigawa, Plateau, Katsina and Zamfara states, as well as the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and other senior Federal Government officials

A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said shortly after arriving in Cotonou, Shettima held a briefing session with the governors and members of the Nigerian delegation ahead of Friday’s engagements

The delegation is scheduled to visit the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ), a major industrial hub near Cotonou, where they will meet officials of the Beninese government, investors and private-sector operators involved in the development and management of the zone

The visit is expected to provide Nigeria with practical lessons on agricultural value addition, industrial infrastructure development, investment mobilisation, skills development and export-oriented manufacturing, all of which are central to the country’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme

Particular attention will be paid to the GDIZ textile park, which operates an integrated value chain spanning cotton spinning, weaving, fabric processing and garment manufacturing

The 1,640-hectare industrial zone is designed to transform agricultural commodities from raw material production through processing into finished products for export

The study tour comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to revive Nigeria’s once-thriving textile industry, which has suffered decades of factory closures, weak domestic processing capacity and stiff competition from imported fabrics and garments

According to recent figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s textile, apparel and footwear industry was valued at about ₦8.15 trillion at current prices in 2024 and generated an additional ₦2.45 trillion in nominal output during the first quarter of 2025

Officials said the visit would enable the Nigerian delegation to examine ways of strengthening linkages between cotton farmers, ginneries, spinning mills, textile manufacturers, fashion businesses and export markets

The delegation is also expected to explore opportunities for technology transfer, industrial training, deployment of modern manufacturing equipment, reliable energy systems, shared processing facilities and stronger public-private partnerships

The visit forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises industrial revival, economic diversification, agricultural transformation, import substitution, job creation and expansion of Nigeria’s non-oil exports

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Source: thenationonlineng.net